Couple Guilty of Murdering Vulnerable Man in Care
A Birmingham couple, Kenneth Newton and Melanie James, have been convicted of murdering Rubin Blount, a vulnerable man in their care, after months of abuse including beatings and neglect.
Category : Housing Issues
60 Homes Approved on Wolverhampton Fire Site
Stonebond Properties has secured permission to build 60 homes on the site of a Wolverhampton warehouse destroyed by fire in 2021, with the council ruling benefits outweigh objections.
Tamworth former college site to become 123 homes
A former South Staffordshire College site in Tamworth will be transformed into 123 homes including 20% affordable housing and an 80-bed care home, developer Vistry confirms.
Woman Banned Over Dogs in Urine-Soaked Home
Michelle Batty banned from keeping animals for 12 months after three dogs had to be euthanized due to severe neglect in a home covered in faeces and urine.
Burnham Plans NHS Bed Change for Over-65s in Care Reform
Prime Minister Andy Burnham announces social care reforms to free up NHS beds for over-65s, linking workforce and launching cross-party talks.
68% of 23-Year-Olds Live at Home – and That’s Okay
More than two-thirds of 23-year-olds in the UK live with their parents, triple the rate of millennials. With average house prices at £271,000 and rising costs, one young adult explains why staying home makes sense.
Walsall man charged over boiler and copper pipe theft
A 32-year-old man has been charged and remanded in custody after a boiler and copper piping were allegedly stolen from a Bloxwich address earlier this month.
Family 'broken' after dad and son attack relative in Small Heath
Mohammed Karim, 51, and son Mohammed Roshan Arif, 22, sentenced to suspended prison for assaulting relative at his Small Heath home, leaving victim with PTSD and family 'broken and embarrassed'.
Easy Housing Association Faces Deregistration Over Failures
Easy Housing Association, providing supported housing for over 200 people in Birmingham and London, faces potential deregistration after persistent governance and financial viability failures, warns Regulator.
Dudley councillors reject HMO plan citing high crime area
Dudley Planning Committee overwhelmingly rejected a 13-bed HMO conversion of a former Citizens Advice Bureau, citing police concerns about high crime and lack of security management plan.
Birmingham resident seeks advice on noisy student neighbours
A Birmingham resident complains about student neighbours with parties until 5am, shouting and football at 2am. After three months, they seek Reddit advice on next steps.
Travellers Return to West Heath Park Second Time in Month
Travellers have again set up camp on West Heath Park in Birmingham, blocking pathways and leaving waste. Council vows to take action.
DWP Housing Benefit Cuts £50 Weekly for 330k Pensioners
A new report reveals that 330,000 pensioners lose an average of £50 per week in Housing Benefit due to private pension income rules, urging policymakers to reform the system.
Landlords: Top Five Repair Priorities for Rentals
A new survey reveals the most urgent repairs landlords must address, with heating breakdowns and plumbing leaks topping the list, costing tenants and landlords thousands annually.
Stamp duty relief for over-65s could free up 870,000 homes
Think tank Radix Big Tent urges PM Andy Burnham to extend stamp duty relief to pensioners, potentially releasing 870,000 family homes onto the market.
Birmingham Family's Nightmare Next to Exempt Property
A Birmingham family living next to a 'supported exempt' property in north Edgbaston has captured drug dealing and sex work on doorbell footage, saying they live in fear. The case highlights the city's crisis of unregulated exempt accommodation.
DWP urged to equalise state pension tax exemption
Andy Burnham confirms state pension tax exemption, but Independent Age warns pensioners with secondary income could still face bills, calling for equal treatment.
Family Moves from 3-Bed Semi to 6-Bed Poland Home
A family who swapped a three-bed semi in the West Midlands for a six-bed house in Poland near a forest say they already feel more settled, citing lower costs and more space.
Travellers Leave Swanshurst Park; Ditches Planned
Most travellers have vacated Swanshurst Park in Billesley, Birmingham. Councillors now discuss extending knee-rails, digging ditches, and raising mounds to prevent future illegal encampments, with funding available for 32 city parks.
Drivers Warned: Avoid Sun-Exposed Driveways This Week
With temperatures set to hit 35C, motoring experts advise parking in shade to prevent cars becoming dangerously hot. Interior can reach 40C in 30 minutes.
Solihull Family Moved Hotel to Hotel After Mould Emergency
A Solihull family with a disabled mother and a three-year-old was moved between hotels after their home was condemned due to severe mould, with the council issuing an apology.
5p drain cleaner stops flies: expert warns homeowners
A 5p biological washing powder treatment can prevent drain fly infestations, experts warn, as warm weather creates perfect breeding grounds in pipes.
13 Birmingham Wards Are Exempt Hostel Hotspots
Thirteen Birmingham wards have over 300 exempt supported accommodation properties each, with 33,904 people living in 12,166 such properties citywide, three times more than in 2018.
National Trust evicts volunteers for cafe in RAF mortuary
Volunteers who spent £30,000 restoring a former RAF ambulance garage and mortuary at Croome Court say the National Trust is pushing them out to install a grab-and-go cafe.
Birmingham Dealers Convicted Over AI Cannabis Query
Two Birmingham drug dealers were convicted after police traced their AI chatbot queries about cannabis cultivation, leading to a seizure of plants worth £250,000.
Birmingham dealers asked AI for cannabis recipe before arrest
Two Birmingham drug dealers who asked AI how to make strong cannabis were arrested after police found drugs and cash. They pleaded guilty and await sentencing.
Exempt Hostels Triple in Birmingham Since Pre-Covid
Birmingham's exempt supported hostels have tripled since 2018, with 33,904 people in 12,166 properties, driving out families and linked to crime, according to a new probe.
Kids Face Fines for Kicking Balls Over Neighbour's Fence
A High Court ruling confirms parents can be fined if their child kicks a football over a neighbour's fence, after a couple successfully sued a school for nuisance.
British Gas meter mix-up leads to 19% tariff increase
British Gas has mixed up energy meters in new-build homes, causing customers to be billed for each other's energy and face a 19% tariff increase, according to a letter to the Guardian.
£1bn Unclaimed Benefits in Birmingham and West Midlands
Birmingham and the West Midlands have £1bn in unclaimed benefits annually, with £435m in Birmingham alone, according to a new report on missing Pension Credit and other support.
Page 7 of 58